Aug 31 (DM) Three persons have been arrested with 602 counterfeit currency notes of Rs. 500 by the STF during a raid in Seeduwa. STF said they searched two men who arrived on a motorcycle in Ekala and added they were in possession of 60 counterfeit notes of Rs.500. Following their interrogation, STF raided a lodge at Liyanagemulla in Seeduwa, where they were staying on rent. STF arrested another suspect and seized 542 counterfeit notes of Rs. 500, a laptop and a printer more..

Aug 31 (TOI) Bollywood beauty Jacqueline Fernandez was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi on August 30 for almost five hours in a 200-crore money laundering related case. Jacqueline's statement was recorded in the multi-crore extortion racket led by conman Sukesh Chandrashekar. Now, according to a report, the actress who was interrogated as a witness, was a victim of the said racket. Jacqueline reportedly fell prey to Sukesh Chandrashekar's racket more..

Aug 31 (TM) An ongoing National Investigation Agency of India (NIA) probe into the seizure of 300 kg heroin, five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 live rounds of 9mm ammunition off the coast of Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram has led to speculation that an int'l drug running and weapon trading racket is aimed at reviving the SL Tamil separatist group LTTE. The case relates to the March 18 interception of a boat more..

Aug 31 (Island) UNP Chairman and former Minister Wajira Abeywardena yesterday called on the Govt to spend US Dollars 720 million being granted by the IMF solely on controlling Coronavirus and said that the Govt should join a programme with the IMF and obtain money to build the economy as well. Addressing Galle District UNP activists, via zoom technology, Abeywardena said that WHO had said that a committee of specialists should be appointed to control the Coronavirus. more..

Aug 31 (EN) Central Bank has published an indicative spot rate of 210 to the US dollar on Aug 31, while adjusting a rate for telegraphic transfers on its website to widen the margin while banks published rates of 220/226 rupees. SL does not have a functioning interbank spot market at the moment and banks are negotiating with importers and exporters over the counter leading to large margins in many cases, market participants say. CB on Tuesday published a rate of more..

Aug 31 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to issue a gazette notification declaring teacher, teacher advisory, and principal services a closed service. The relevant gazette will be issued before Nov 20, 2021. In addition, Cabinet has also agreed to pay an allowance of Rs 5,000 in Sept and Oct, till the salary anomaly of teachers and principals is resolved through the 2022 budget. more..

Aug 31 (Island) Sri Lanka had not been able to reap at least 20% of the benefits of lockdown, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday. Kumudesh said that the purpose of a lockdown had been lost as garment factories had remained open without its workers being tested. The lab technologists and other health sector unions had come forth to help the govt to test all garment factory workers and issue results within days, he said. more..

Aug 31 (DM) Some 5,858 Covid patients were treated in 13 Ayurvedic Hospitals while 4,720 of them have fully recovered by now, State Minister Sisira Jayakody said. He told the weekly Cabinet briefing that five more Ayurvedic Hospitals will be opened for Covid treatment this week. He said only 299 Covid patients who were under treatment in Ayurvedic Hospitals had developed complications and required treatment at western medical hospitals. The Minister said Covid treatment at more..

Aug 31 (EN) SL’s state agencies have been asked to cut spending, overtime and no money will be allocated for new hires ahead of a preparing a budget for 2021 as tax cuts and Coronavirus had reduced state revenues. There will be no provisions for new hires in 2022, Ministry Secretaries and Dept chiefs have been told by the Treasury in a circular. The public sector consumed 84% of taxes collected up to April and more..

Aug 31 (EN) SL’s has awarded a contract to carry coal unloaded from ships to the jetty adjacent to a coal plant to a Shreeji Shipping Limited, a firm based in Gujarat, India. The cabinet of ministers had cleared award of the contract for the period of 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 to Shreeji Shipping Limited on the recommendation of a standing procurement committee. The coals unloaded from ships has to be carried on barges to the jetty of a coal power complex in Norochcholai more..

Aug 31 (FT) SL is due to receive 15,000 doses of the Sputnik V second dose products today, while it received a consignment of 124,020 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine yesterday. Over 130,000 persons who received the first dose of Sputnik V are awaiting the second dose, with the first dose of the vaccine administered to 159,088 persons and the second dose administered to 25,489 persons. First dose of Pfizer has been administered to 306,374 persons and the second dose has been administered to 183,532 persons. more..

Aug 31 (Island) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith will soon meet Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris to hear the govt’s response to the issues raised by the National Catholic Committee for Justice pertaining to what it called inordinate delay in implementing the recommendations of the PCoI into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage. Prof. Peiris, who is also the Chairman of the ruling party, appreciated the Archbishop’s readiness to meet him. more..

Aug 31 (AD) IUSF convenor Wasantha Kumara Mudalige and 3 others arrested in connection with the damaging of public property during a protest, have been further remanded by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court. The court ordered the defendants be re-remanded until Sept 7. Accordingly, the IUSF convenor Wasantha Mudalige, President of the Sri J;pura Uni Students’ Federation Amila Sandeepa, FSP Administrative Secretary Chameera Koswatte and party activist more..

Aug 31 (DM) Statistics on daily Covid cases had to be updated repeatedly as there was a delay in reporting data on positive cases that were identified through Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) performed on field and in private sector hospitals, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said. The data received by the Epidemiology Unit on Covid positive cases are being released on daily basis and said the data reach late added to respective figures after being verified. more..

Aug 31 (TM) Association of Medical Specialists of SL (AMS) has pointed out that the current situation with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic would not have arisen if the vaccination programme had been implemented prioritising the provision of Covid-19 vaccines to the population over 60 years of age. AMS Executive Committee Member Dr. Asoka Gunaratne said that at present, it is clear that Covid-19 infections mostly cause serious more..

Aug 31 (Island) Govt had sidelined the officials engaged in Health Ministry’s preventive care system and therefore the vaccination drive had not yielded the desired results, Secretary of GMOA, Dr. Senal Fernando said. GMOA also protested against govt’s decision to hand over the administration of Pfizer vaccine to the military. Dr. Fernando said the GOMA had written to Minister Keheliya, Rambukwella urging him to carry out the vaccination programme through the preventive care system. more..

Aug 31 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa last night issued emergency regulations to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential food items at a fair price, while appointing Maj. Gen. M.D.S.P. Niwunhella as the Essential Services Commissioner. The regulations were issued as per powers vested to the President under the Public Security Ordinance. Essential food items include rice, paddy and sugar while traders will be banned from all unfair practices such as hoarding, creating artificial shortages, more..

Aug 31 (AD) Teachers and principals have decided to carry on their trade union action until proper solutions are provided for their issues. Secretary of CTU, Joseph Stalin stated that they had submitted various proposals during the discussions held with the authorities. “It is a serious situation, if they are disregarding our suggestions.” As pandemic situation continued to exacerbate, schools were closed off and online learning was introduced more..

Aug 31 (EN) Cabinet of ministers had cleared the lease of 66 acres of state land to Aura Lanka Herbals (Pvt) Ltd, a herbal product company, to set up a factory and seedling farms. The proposal was submitted by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the line minister for lands. The firm expects to invest 783 million dollars including 300 million dollars in capital, Cabinet spokesman Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. The 66 acres will be given in Anuradhapura district. more..

Aug 31 (CT) A disease commonly known as MIS-C is currently prevalent among children in various parts of the country, Dr. Nalin Kitulwatta, Specialist in charge of the ICU of Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital said. He stated that this condition has been reported in children after 2 to 6 weeks of a COVID-19 infection. As children are currently being treated for these ailments, the ICU of the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital is no longer able to admit children, he added. more..

Aug 31 (CT) Former Director of the Medical Research Institute of SL Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara was summoned to the CID today in connection with a statement he made during an interview with a journalist. Chairman of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and State Pharmaceuticals Corporation lodged a complaint with the CID claiming that Dr. Bandara had made false claims regarding the production of more..

Aug 31 (CT) High Commissioner-designate of SL to India, Milinda Moragoda, appointed with the Cabinet rank, assumed duties at a simple ceremony held at the High Commission of SL in New Delhi yesterday after an unusual delay. His appointment to the post was announced about a year ago. The staff of the High Commission received High Commissioner-designate Moragoda and Mrs. Jennifer Moragoda, presenting the traditional sheaf of betel leaves. Mr. Moragoda assumed duties amidst chanting more..

Aug 31 (DM) Environment Ministry has completed the preparation of a new edition of the Red Data Book on Endangered fauna and flora in Sri Lanka, which is compiled every five years. They said the last time a red data book was published in SL was in 2012 and it was scheduled to be compiled every five years. When Minister Mahinda Amaraweera assumed duties as the Environment Minister a year ago, he advised the officials of the Ministry to compile Red Data Book as soon as possible. more..